Congress is cutting the guaranteed defined benefit pension plan for service members–and to make the change more palatable, adding sweeteners: a 1% base pay contribution and up to 4% match in the government Thrift Savings Plan and lump sum bonuses.

They thought their pensions were secure—but now they’re fighting to keep them. Retired and active Teamsters in 25 states from Florida to Minnesota received notice this fall that their pensions could be cut by as much as 60 percent, beginning July 1.

Ken Petersen spent 30 years as a Teamster trucker, loading and hauling utility poles, fertilizer and other freight. All those years his employers socked money away for the monthly pension check Petersen has received since he retired from trucking in 2003.

Facing cuts in their promised pensions of 30%, 50% and even more, retired Teamsters on Wednesday evening blasted the "rescue plan" that the Central States Pension Fund says it needs to save it from going broke.

You didn't read wrong. Retirees, after working for 30 years or more, will lose up to 70% of their pensions. These are some of our neighbors & friends. As a result of Congress' 2015 omnibus spending bill, the pensions of up to 400,000 Americans, many of whom spent lifetimes working here, will see their pensions evicerated.

Retirees face a less secure future due to decisions soon to come from the U.S. Supreme Court, due to changes to Social Security and Medicare, and due to the enactment of the Kline-Miller Multiemployer Pension Reform Act. They deserve full disclosure and the truth.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers teamed to release a set of "best interest" principles to form the basis of financial education and advice legislation they are developing to counter the Department of Labor’s proposed fiduciary rule.

This page is intended to serve as a resource hub for retirees who are subject to cuts as a result of the Central States Pension Fund’s application to the U.S. Department of the Treasury to reduce retiree benefits. This page will be updated on an ongoing basis.

PensionHelp America connects people who need help with their pension, 401(k), and other retirement plans with the pension counseling projects, legal services providers, and government agencies that can help answer their questions. Visit www.pensionhelp.org.

Did You Know?

A 401(k) plan is a retirement savings plan in which the benefit is based on contributions to an individual account and the investment return on those contributions. Typically, employees make contributions to the plan and, in many cases, employers match the employees' contributions. These plans are called defined contribution plans. In most 401(k) and other retirement savings plans, the employee is responsible for choosing among the investments offered by the plan. Other types of retirement savings plans are 403(b) and 457 plans.